Pulses (legumes) include dried beans, lentils and peas, and are staples in many diets. With high nutritional value, pulses are an ideal source of protein, low in fat and rich in soluble fibre. They are recommended by health organizations for the management of non-communicable diseases like diabetes and heart conditions. Pulses are an important crop […]
Tea is a beverage made from the Camellia sinesis plant, and is the world’s most consumed drink, after water. Originating from northeast India, north Myanmar and southwest China, there is evidence of tea being consumed in China 5,000 years ago. Tea production and processing are major livelihood sources for millions of families in developing countries. […]
As outlined by the World Health Organization (WHO), access to sufficient amounts of safe and nutritious food is key to sustaining life and promoting good health. Unsafe food containing harmful bacteria, viruses, parasites or chemical substances, causes more than 200 diseases, ranging from diarrhoea to cancers. An estimated 600 million – almost 1 in 10 […]
Desertification and Drought Day (previously known as World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought) is to combat desertification and to achieve land degradation neutrality through problem-solving, strong community involvement and cooperation. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development includes the intent to protect the planet from degradation, including through sustainable consumption and production, sustainably managing its natural […]
Gastronomy -- the art of food -- refers to local food and cuisine. Sustainability means not being wasteful of natural resources (with agriculture, fishing and food preparation) and continuing into the future without being detrimental to our environment or health. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), sustainable gastronomy is […]
The word solstice is derived from the Latin sol (sun) and sistere (to stand still). As seen from Earth, the Sun's daily path appears to stand still at a northern or southern limit before reversing direction when the Sun reaches its most northerly or southerly day-arc relative to the equator. Two solstices occur annually. One […]
According to the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), from 2000 to 2019, there were 7,348 major recorded disaster events claiming 1.23 million lives, affecting 4.2 billion people and resulting in approximately US$2.97 trillion in global economic losses. International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction is to promote a global culture of risk-awareness and […]
Women and girls play a crucial role in ensuring the sustainability of rural households and communities, improving rural livelihoods and overall wellbeing. Accounting for a substantial proportion of the agricultural labour force, including informal work, females perform the bulk of unpaid care and domestic work within families and households in rural areas and make significant […]
Over 2 billion people do not have regular access to safe, nutritious and sufficient food. An estimated 770 to 820 million people are hungry. The impact of malnutrition in all its forms (under-nutrition, micro-nutrient deficiencies) and of obesity on the global economy is estimated at $US 3.5 trillion per year. There is a clear need […]
Plants nurture soil-living organisms -- only 1% of these soil microorganisms having been identified to date (compared to 80% of plant species). This vast world constitutes soil biodiversity -- 25% of the planet's biodiversity -- and determines the main bio-geochemical processes that make life possible on Earth, with this diverse community feeding and protecting plants, […]